


see who's got your back

by likebrightness



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Post-Episode: s02e06, Pre-Relationship, post-ep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-31 19:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8590717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likebrightness/pseuds/likebrightness
Summary: Supergirl looks at Alex, and they do that thing they do where they barely make expressions at each other but somehow have full conversations. Then Supergirl looks at Maggie and oh shit. Maggie knows Supergirl has laser vision, and that’s what this feels like.





	

  
Maggie texts Alex later that night.

_Are you okay?_

She doesn’t really expect Alex to reply. She can’t stop thinking about the way Alex’s voice almost broke as she walked away. She never wanted to hurt her. The whole point of saying no was not to hurt her.

Alex does reply, though.

_I’m good. Let’s just put it behind us_

Maggie knows Alex isn’t good. But she can put it behind her, if that’s what Alex needs. She can pretend her heart doesn’t ache at the look on Alex’s face when she realized what Maggie was saying.

Fake it til you make it.

-

Alex calls her about a case two days later. When Maggie arrives at the scene, Alex says _Sawyer_ and Maggie says _Danvers_ and it’s like nothing happened, except for the crease between Alex’s eyes. Maggie tries to walk on eggshells without looking like she’s walking on eggshells. She wants to be gentle with Alex, but she doesn’t think Alex would take it right. Alex wants to be tough— Alex _is_ tough— and it’s not that Maggie thinks she’s fragile, just that she wants to be careful with her.

So she’s being careful, only lightly teasing, nothing that could be misconstrued as flirting, just _being nice_ , and they’re arguing over jurisdiction, because it’s what they do, and then Supergirl shows up.

Supergirl shows up directly between them.

They weren’t standing that close to each other, but close enough that they both have to step back when Supergirl suddenly pops up.

Supergirl looks at Alex, and they do that thing they do where they barely make expressions at each other but somehow have full conversations. Then Supergirl looks at Maggie and _oh shit_. Maggie knows Supergirl has laser vision, and that’s what this feels like. Her glare is furious, until Alex clears her throat, and then it lessens into a look of total disdain, but at least Maggie doesn’t feel like she’s about to be burned alive anymore.

“I think Agent Danvers can handle this one on her own,” Supergirl says. “After all, her lab is better equipped.”

“It is,” Maggie agrees, and Supergirl rolls her eyes. “But I’d love to come along for the ride.”

Supergirl clicks her tongue at her. “We wouldn’t want the lab to get too crowded. Surely you understand.”

Alex is blushing red, but she’s not contradicting anything Supergirl says, and Maggie doesn’t want to anger the superhero any more than she apparently already has.

“Sure,” Maggie says. “You’ve got my number if you need me, Danvers.”

Maggie can feel Supergirl’s eyes still on her all the way to her car.  

-

One morning about a month later, Maggie really just wants to grab a quick coffee and get to work. She resolves to be late when Alex is alone in a booth at Noonan’s. She gets her coffee to go and goes to say hi.

“Danvers, hey.”

“Sawyer.” Alex smiles up at her. She’s beginning to smile at Maggie again, and Maggie has to ignore the way it tugs on her heart every time. That’s what got them in trouble in the first place.

“What’s up?” Maggie asks, then notices the cappuccino on the table across from Alex. “Oh shit, I’m not interrupting a hot date or anything, am I?”

Alex rolls her eyes. “No, it’s just my sister.”

“You talking about me?” There’s a voice from behind them and Maggie turns to who must be Alex’s sister.

Maggie is going to say hello, introduce herself, but then there’s this glare. It’s furious and protective and it's been a while, but Maggie knows exactly where she’s seen it before. She bites the inside of her cheek so she doesn’t react.

“Kara,” Alex says, a warning in her voice. “This is Detective Maggie Sawyer.”

Kara offers her hand, still glaring. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Only good things, I hope,” Maggie jokes, and the bones in her hand crunch together under Kara’s grip. Maggie manages not to cuss.

Kara laughs, a fake, tinny sound. Maggie realizes she could kill her. Kara could literally kill her if she wanted to. The thought is both sobering and so, so reassuring, to know that Alex has her.

“Anyway,” Maggie says, “I’m late. It was nice to meet you, Kara.”

“Same,” Kara says with the fakest smile Maggie has ever seen in her life.

“See you around, Danvers.”

“Bye, Sawyer.”

As she’s walking away, Maggie hears Alex say _Kara_ like she’s scolding her.

-

It makes sense. It explains why Supergirl shows up on every case Alex is working, even if she’s not needed. It explains why she and Alex work so well together, so seamlessly. And it explains why Supergirl looked like she wanted to kill Maggie at that first crime scene after Alex kissed her.

Maggie wonders what it must be like to have a superhero as a sister. Everything Alex said about having to be perfect feels heavier now.

Maggie keeps her knowledge to herself for a while, watches Supergirl and Alex interact, can’t believe she didn’t figure it out sooner. Supergirl is still cold to her, but Maggie is mildly less afraid of being murdered now that she understands what's behind the glare.

It’s almost two months after Alex kissed her that they finally hang out again. They grab dinner after a case, Alex gets a steak and Maggie gets the biggest burger on the menu. It’s a restaurant near Maggie’s precinct, but not near enough to be filled with other cops. Their waitress refills their drinks then leaves, and no one is within three tables of them. Maggie figures it’s as good a time as any.

“So,” she says, dipping a fry in ketchup. “Kara is Supergirl, huh?”

“ _What?_ ” Alex’s laugh sounds nervous, and the way her head swivels to make sure no one is in earshot is definitely nervous.

Maggie grins. “You’re gonna play it like you have no idea what I’m talking about?”

“I— I don’t?” Alex says like it’s a question. “Why do you think Kara is Supergirl?”

“That look,” Maggie says. “The one where she looks like she’s going to burn you alive with her laser eyes?”

Alex breathes out another laugh, cuts her steak a little too aggressively. “Please. Kara is a giant puppy. She would never burn anyone alive even if she had laser eyes.”

“Sure thing, Danvers,” Maggie says. “But Supergirl seems pretty pissed every time we work together, and that’s a look I remember. A look I recognized again, even through glasses.”

“Why is Supergirl pissed at you?”

God, she is really going for this play dumb and pretend this isn’t happening thing.

“Well, it started right after I hurt you, so I’d say because of that and because she’s actually your sister?”

Alex looks taken aback. They haven’t actually addressed the kiss or anything that came after it. This is the first time either of them have said anything. Maggie wouldn’t have, doesn’t want to reopen those wounds, but Alex asked. Alex opens and closes her mouth a few times, and then her shoulders slump.

“Okay look, yes, my sister is Supergirl, and now that you know that, there’s a ton of paperwork you’re going to have to sign at the DEO.”

Maggie grins. “Whatever you say, Danvers.”

-

The paperwork is easy. Maggie signs it, and sits through a stern lecture from Hank Henshaw, and she’s free to go. Alex walks with her to the parking garage.

“I’ll talk to Kara,” Alex says. “You don’t deserve— she shouldn’t make you think she’s going to burn you alive. She wouldn’t, I promise.”

“She would if you asked her to,” Maggie says.

Alex smiles this little smile like she totally knows her sister would murder someone for her, and she thinks it’s cute. Maggie wonders if Kara has already offered. “Yeah. Probably.” Alex looks at Maggie suddenly. “I never would, though,” she says. “We’re friends, right?”

Maggie bumps their shoulders together. “Yeah, Danvers. Friends.”

 


End file.
